USA: San Francisco Hosts First SHC Conference in 2012
 USA: San Francisco Hosts First SHC Conference in 2012

USA: San Francisco Hosts First SHC Conference in 2012

 SHC Logo ” From 9 to 11 July 2012, San Francisco will host the International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry – the SHC 2012. The science conference is organised by the International Energy Agency’s Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (IEA SHC) in cooperation with German PSE AG. Taking place in the same week as the Intersolar North America, it will provide a platform to discuss the latest advancements in solar heating and cooling technologies. Intersolar visitors may use their conference ticket to attend the last SHC conference day. The final podium discussion will be a joint session of both events.

“The 1st International Conference on Solar Heating and Cooling for Buildings and Industry, the SHC 2012 in San Francisco, will address all of the important solar heating and cooling issues – from the latest research results to the discussion of policy initiatives,” says Dr Andreas Häberle from conference organiser PSE AG. Häberle expects to welcome 250 participants in San Francisco.

Keynote speeches will be held by, for example, Werner Weiss from AEE INTEC, Austria, Doug McClenahan from CanmetENERGY, Canada, Jan Eric Nielsen from SolarKey Int, Denmark, and Paolo Frankl from the IEA, France. The main topics of the conference include solar storage, district heating, solar thermal collectors, solar resource assessment, solar heating and air-conditioning of buildings, solar cooling and refrigeration, as well as rating and certification. The complete conference programme is available here.

One area that the conference will be focussing on is the IEA’s presentation of its upcoming roadmap on solar heating and cooling. “At the request of the G8, the IEA is about to finalise the roadmap for solar heating and cooling,” says the Chairman of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Programme, Werner Weiss. “In 2011, additional input has been gathered by four professional workshops which were carried out across different continents. We are looking forward to the roadmap’s publication and have invited the IEA to present it at our SHC 2012 conference.”

The G8 requested a series of IEA technology roadmaps in order to provide a solid analytical basis that would enable the international community to move forward with specific technologies. As stated in the published roadmaps, each map has to develop a growth scenario from today to 2050. The roadmap also identifies the technology, financing, policy and public engagement milestones which are needed to tap a technology’s full potential.

The final SHC Panel Discussion on July 11 is a joint session with the Intersolar North America Conference. Experts will use the opportunity to exchange views and ideas on how to further develop and gradually expand the markets for solar thermal applications. The panel will shed light on the pros and cons of political framework conditions and lessons learned, recent technological advancements of solar thermal applications, as well as their versatility and implementation potential, the current status of the markets across the US and the EU, and – last but not least – the need for greater dissemination, awareness and training in the ST industry.

Werner B. Koldehoff from BSW Solar, the German Solar Industry Association, will lead the panel discussion. Among the panellists are Les Nelson, Interim Executive Director, California Solar Energy Industries Association (CALSEIA), USA, Milou Beerepoot, Senior Energy Analyst, International Energy Agency (IEA), France, Ole Pilgaard, President/CEO, Heliodyne Inc, USA, Marlon Rechberger, Director Sales & Marketing, KIOTO Clear Energy, Mexico, and Nick Stimmel, Sr Programme Manager, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PGE), USA.

The Intersolar North America conference and trade fair will open its doors in San Francisco from 9 to 12 July 2012. Set up in the same location as the SEMICON West, the PV-dominated event is expected to attract approximately 900 exhibitors and more than 22,000 registered visitors from more than 80 countries.

The next SHC conference is scheduled to take place in Freiburg, Germany, in September 2012 – together with the 5th International Conference Solar Air-Conditioning.

More information:
PSE AG: info@shc2012.org (Dr Andreas Häberle)
http://www.shc2012.org
Conference programme

 

Stephanie Banse

Stephanie Banse is a German journalist specialised in solar thermal technology.